Benefits of Metafile Testing for Central Registries

By Elaine Collins | February 2, 2026

Testing new metafiles is a great opportunity for central registries to participate in the edit process. For standard metafiles, you get to review new edits, find concept and logic errors, comment on their usefulness and impact they might have on your data, and perhaps even suggest other likely edits. For call for data (CFD) metafiles,…

NCCR Winter Feature

By Fernanda Michels | January 26, 2026

The NCCR Feature Winter Edition highlights the NCCR 2025 Accomplishments and promotes the release of the 2025 AACR Pediatric Cancer Progress Report. 2025 NCCR ACCOMPLISHMENTS NCCR Data Platform Updates Imagine having access to comprehensive cancer surveillance data for children, adolescents, and young adults all in one place—linked to real-world evidence that tells the complete story.…

FCDS Director, Gary Levin, Reflects on 35 Years in Cancer Surveillance

By Stephanie M. Hill, MPH, CTR, NAACCR | January 12, 2026

With his retirement date fast approaching, I asked Gary Levin, long-time director of the Florida Cancer Data System, to reflect on his 35 years in the cancer surveillance field. Gary was a 2025 recipient of the Calum S. Muir Memorial Award in recognition of his leadership and service to NAACCR and for the promotion of…

NAACCR Board Identifies Priority Areas to Propel NAACCR Into the Future

By Eric Durbin, DrPH, MS | September 28, 2026

Priority Areas to Propel NAACCR Into the Future Central cancer registries should expect to benefit from sweeping, transformative new capabilities in electronic health records (EHR), biomedical informatics, and artificial intelligence (AI). As the cancer data ecosystem advances, central cancer registries will need to be prepared and empowered to leverage these advances for better, faster, more…

NAACCR Education and Training Upcoming Events

By Angela Martin | September 28, 2026

NAACCR ODS Exam Prep and Review The Fall 2026 Session of the NAACCR ODS Exam Prep and Review webinar series has started! You can still register. The series is $260 per participant. For more information go to https://education.naaccr.org/CTR. Contact Angela Martin, if you have any questions. NAACCR Monthly Webinar Series For the upcoming NAACCR 2026-2027…

Using Median/Multiple Outlier Testing (MMOT) to Support Central Cancer Registry Operations

By Fernanda Michels | August 3, 2026

Central Cancer Registries continuously strive to improve data quality while ensuring that data are fit for research, surveillance, and cancer control activities. One promising approach is the use of Median/Multiple Outlier Testing (MMOT), a benchmarking method developed by Dr. Huann-Sheng Chen of the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance Research Program. MMOT helps identify unusual patterns in…

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OUR MISSION

Actionable content that unites cancer registries.

The Narrative strives to provide you with information you can use to enhance and strengthen your cancer registry. Look to the Narrative for the latest cancer surveillance news, trends, advances in technology, and latest educational opportunities.

OUR VISION

Make every cancer count.

Cancer affects thousands of people across North America every year. Each cancer case must contribute to our knowledge and understanding so that we may reduce the burden of these diseases. Narrative provides a platform for the cancer surveillance community to collaborate and share data that will improve health outcomes.

CANCER REGISTRY SPOTLIGHT: MICHIGAN

Successful Linkage Between Registry Database and LexisNexis

In our ongoing commitment to enhance the quality and accessibility of data, we are thrilled to announce the successful linkage between our registry database and LexisNexis. This integration represents a significant step forward in streamlining our data processes and expanding our analytical capabilities.